Steam clothes drying apparatus



March 5, 1957 .1. A. YOUNG STEAM CLOTHES DRYING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1954 .l z wl IN V ENTOR M ATTORNEYS EX. STEAM March 5, 1957 J. A. YOUNG 2,783,549

STEAM CLOTHES DRYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 11, 1954 3 SheetsSheet 2 4-2 j 4-/ z/ Z? /Z Lko/ INVENTOR Jfllun ATTORNEYS March 5, 1957 J. A. YOUNG 2,733,549

STEAM CLOTHES DRYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 11, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY5 United States Patent 6 STEAM CLOTHES DRYING APPARATUS Jesse A. Young, Abilene, Tex.

Application January 11, 1954, Serial No. 403,214

4 Claims. (Cl. 3483) This invention relates to a steam clothes drying apparatus, and more particularly to such an apparatus of the rotatable drum type wherein heated air is admitted for the purpose of drying the clothes contained in the drum.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus wherein a supplement medium is admitted with the heated air for the purpose of grounding static electricity in the drier, which static electricity has hitherto occasioned the adherence of lint or dust to the garments being dried.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus which passes dry steam directly into the drum with the heated air.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character wherein means are provided for separating dry and wet steam concurrently admitted from a steam source to a conventional housing positioned adjacent the drier wherein air to be admitted to the drier is heated by the wet steam and the dry steam passed into the drier with the heated air.

Still other objects of the invention reside in the arrangement of parts, features of construction, and combination of elements, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevational view of one form of drier embodying features of the instant invention, certain concealed parts thereof being indicated in dotted lines, and certain other parts being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the construction of Figure l, certain concealed elements being disclosed in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figures 1 and 2, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 2, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a supporting rack or frame comprising an element of the instant invention.

Figure 6 is a schematic view disclosing the arrangement of piping in the device.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is generally indicated at 10 a drum housing, which has positioned interiorly thereof a rotatable clothes drying drum (not shown), beneath which is positioned a suction apparatus for drawing heated air into the drum (also not shown). The drum assembly and the suction fan may be of any conventional type, such as the structure in Huebsch et al., No. 2,048,743, dated July 28, 1936.

Positioned on top of drum housing 10 is a hood 11 which covers an air inlet 12 into the drum proper, the hood 11 also being provided with an air inlet 44 in the side thereof.

2,783,549 Patented Mar. 5, 1957 Positioned exteriorly of the hood 11 is a frame structure, generally indicated at 13, which includes end walls 14, an inner wall 15, outer wall 16, and an upper clo sure wall 17, as well as a bottom wall 18.

Walls 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 form a sealed tank 19, to be more fully described hereinafter.

End walls 14 and outer wall 16 extend upwardly above closure wall 17, to form a box-like structure openat its upper side, the outer wall 16 being provided with an inwardly extending flange or vane 20 for directing air and dry steam into the interior of hood 11 through opening 44.

As best shown in Figure 2, a live steam line 21 is pro vided, from which steam is admitted through a pipe 22 into an opening 23 in one of end walls 14, 'intothe closed tank 19. The steam circulates throughout'the tank 19, and a portion thereof comprising the condensate passes through an outlet pipe 25 in the bottom of the tank, carrying also any moisture of condensation formed on the inside of the tank or lower portion thereof with it, to a connection 26 from which a pipe 27, which may be of flexible copper tubing or the like, leads to an inlet 28 in ends wall 14 into communication with oneend of a pipe coil 29 supported in the upper portion of support ing frame 13; The condensate passes through the coil 29 and descends to an outlet 30' connected to the other end of the coil 29, from which a tube 31 forms an exhaust steam line for the condensate.

An outlet 35 on rear wall 16 communicates With a pipe 36 for the egress of dry steam from the upper portion of tank 19, the pipe 36 extending to a valve 57 controlled through a valve stem 38 and an operating handle 39. From the opposite port of valve 37 a pipe 40, which may be comprised of flexible copper tubing if desired, extends to an opening 41 in the end wall 14 below coil 29.

From opening 41 dry steam is passed from tube 40 into a longitudinally extending tube 42 provided with a plurality of downwardly facing apertures or perforations 43. The dry steam, then at atmospheric pressure, passes through and around coil 29 and heating coil 45 of the type disclosed in the aforementioned Huebsch patent and mounted in hood 11 to be admixed with warm air in hood 11 and drawn, by the previously mentioned suction medium, into opening 12, and thence into the drier drum 10.

The dry steam thus admitted with the air into drum 10 serves most effectively to ground static electricity created within the drum, the dry steam and air being heated by the condensate, still under pressure, in coil 29 within hood 11, and by the grounding of the static electricity herein provided an improved drier, which serves to circulate dry steam with the heated air through the drying drum, particularly for the purpose of grounding static electricity in the drum, which accomplishes all the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance. 4

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a steamtdrier, intcombination,taiclrumhavingtan air inlet therein, a hood mounted over said inlet, -a frame on the outer side of said hood, an open top mixing chamberon said :frame in communication with the ,-air-,-in'let in said drum, afheating coil in said chamber, a closed tank in said frame in contact with saidchamber, means admitting steam to said tank, means admittingcondensate from said tank to the interior of said coil, and rneansfor admitting dry steam from saidtank to pass about saidcoil through said inletinto said drum.

v2. In a steam drier, in combination, a drum having'an air inlet therein, a hood mounted over'said inlet, a frame on the outer-side of said hood, an open topmixing chamher on said frame in communication with, the .air inlet in said drum, a heating coil in said chamber, a closed tank in said frame in contact with said chamber, means admitting steam toisai'd tank, means admitting condensate from said tank to the interior of said coil, means for admitting dry steam from said tank to pass about said coil through said inlet into saiddrum, said last-mentioned means including a perforated pipe underlying said coil, and a connection between said pipe and the upper part of said tank.

3. In a steam drier, in combination, a drum having an air inlet therein, a hood mounted over said inlet, a frame on the outer side of said hood, an open top mixing chamber on said frame in communication with the'air inlet in said drum, a heating coil in said chamber, a closed tank in said frame in contact with said chamber, means admitting steam to said tank, means admitting condensate .trom ,said tank to the interior of said coil, means for admitting dry steam from said tank to pass about said coil through said inlet into said drum, said last-mentioned means including a perforated pipe underlying said coil, a connection between said pipe and the upper part of said tank, and valve means in said last-mentioned connection controlling the passage of dry steam.

4. In a clothes drying apparatus of the type having a drum housingprovided with an air inlet port, an air intake hood mounted over said port, said hood having an air intake opening and a'heating coil in said hood for heating the air passing through said opening, the combination of a steam drying chamber mounted adjacent said opening in heat exchange relationship with air passing therethrough, said chamber having an inlet for steam to be dried and having an outlet for dried steam, a spray pipe having perforations therein mounted adjacent said heating coil, ,and a conduit connecting said spray pipe to said outlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 60,470 Bristol Dec. 18, 1866 986,032 Thoma Mar. 7, 1911 1,567,443 Jenkins Dec. 29, 1925 1,623,540 Hunt Apr. 5, 1927 2,048,743 Huebsch et a1. July 28, 1936 am-ei 

